UGA Sophomore's Smiling Mug Shot Went Viral After Two Speeding Arrests

Lily Stewart’s mug shot. Photo courtesy of Athens-Clarke County Jail.

On March 8, 2025, Georgia State Patrol officers clocked University of Georgia sophomore Lily Stewart doing 79 mph in a 55 zone on a rural Georgia highway. They issued a citation. Two minutes later, she was stopped again - this time going 84 mph. Stewart told officers she was rushing to a fraternity day party in Milledgeville and didn’t want to keep her friends waiting. She was arrested on the spot. The resulting mug shot - big smile, pearl earrings - went viral within days, earning Stewart the nickname “Miss America” on TikTok and millions of views.

Going Viral

Stewart embraced the attention. “Everyone’s been asking me, ‘Why’d you smile, why’d you smile?’ I just smile. It was just like an instinct,” she told PEOPLE. “There were cameras up there. I popped my smile and turned to the side.” She described herself as a “basic white girl” who found the whole thing “hilarious” and noted that a TikTok comment joking she had “a monogram rain jacket” was accurate. Her Instagram following surged.

Second Arrest

The moment’s brevity ended on March 23, 2025, when Athens-Clarke County arrested Stewart again - this time for obstruction of a law enforcement officer and loitering or prowling. She posted a $4,600 bond and was released hours later. Her attorney declined to comment on the new charges.

Morgan County Sheriff Tyler Hooks told PEOPLE: “As fast as she was alleged to have been going, she could have hurt herself or someone else. So hopefully she just learned her lesson.” Stewart said she planned to complete a defensive driving course, serve 20 hours of community service, and write a paper on speeding. She is studying accounting at UGA.

References: Georgia sorority girl seen in ‘smiling’ mugshot arrested again weeks after 1st run in with police | How College Student’s Smiling Mug Shot Went Viral - and What Her Parents Think (Exclusive)